PAC:Fairfax CEO says tough times after quake

Fairfax Media chief executive Greg Hywood says it's been a difficult few days for the publisher after one staff member died and three others were trapped in their Christchurch office during Tuesday's earthquake.

Of the three survivors, two staff were injured and one suffered minor injuries, Mr Hywood told media after the company's half year results presentation on Thursday.

He said Fairfax had offered counseling and other welfare services to staff.

"Quite clearly, our focus has been on our people," Mr Hywood said.

"You don't go through something like this, where you lose a staff member and basically having your main building collapse, without that having to be your essential focus."

While an assessment of Fairfax's Christchurch Press building was yet to be made, Mr Hywood said it would be "most unusual if we would re-inhabit that building", based on what he had seen.

The building's owners had been in the process of constructing new facilities for Fairfax to move into, Mr Hywood said.

The head of Fairfax's New Zealand publishing division, Allen Williams, was on the ground in Christchurch, and editor Andrew Holden was continuing to publish the newspaper, Mr Hywood said.